“The house,” he said. His face had gone pale, his hands, gripping the car door, turning white at the knuckles.
“What about the house?” Then they pulled out of the trees and she saw what he meant. Someone had taken a sledgehammer to the roof and the walls, knocking big holes in it. Destroying everything Kian had worked so hard to achieve.
He was out of the car and running towards the house before she had stopped the engine. A roar of rage escaping him. For a moment, she thought he was going to change, that the bear would take him. The air shimmered, his image became fuzzy, but then he came back to himself. She ran to him and placed her hand on his back.
“Who would do something like this?” she asked.
“I know.” His voice held bitterness and something else, something that chilled her blood.
“Kian. Please don’t do anything stupid.”
He went to the house, and walked around the outside, assessing the damage. While he was busy with his own thoughts, she put her hand in her purse and retrieved her phone. “Hi, Brad, sorry to disturb you. Could you come out to Kian’s house? Yes, it’s been vandalised.”
By the next morning, the new, hope-filled Kian, was gone. Instead, Kian felt like a broken man. He had put so much hard work, effort, and the last of his money into the house. And now it was destroyed. He wanted to go and rip Graham’s head off. Yes, Graham, it had to be him. No one else in Bear Creek had so much as a passing interest in the land. Whereas Graham had been upset on two counts. First, over losing Alli, and then over Kian turning down the offer to sell the farm so he could build his houses.
He picked up a handful of dirt and threw it away, watching it blow on the wind. That was what his life felt like—one minute together, the next nothing but dust. Dust. There was a cloud of it, coming towards him up the track through the woods. What now? He guessed it was the sheriff, Brad, coming to let him know what he had found during his inquiries. He doubted Graham would have left any evidence, so it would no doubt be put down to someone passing through.
The dust cloud grew bigger. That was more than one vehicle. He shielded his eyes. It was like a convoy.
“What is that?” Melanie said, coming out from the house where she was trying to tidy up. Whoever had done this had also tried to wreck the two rooms he and Melanie had been living in for the last few months. She had insisted on staying with him last night, more because she was scared of what he might do if he was alone. Alli, on the other hand, had disappeared back into town. He had felt her slipping out of his fingers right then, like dust.
“I have no idea,” he said. “I hope the council haven’t decided the house is unfit to leave standing.”
“Would they do that?”
“I don’t know.” He took a step forward; he was sure it was Alli’s car at the front of the vehicles. Yes, yes, it was. He walked down to meet her. Melanie followed, slipping her hand into his, wanting protection from whatever was about to unfold. “It’s OK,” he assured her.
She smiled at him weakly. All her confidence had disappeared when she came home yesterday, still wearing her party dress and soon in floods of tears. He had comforted her as best he could. Then later, when Alli and everyone else had gone, they had slipped into the woods behind the house and run as bears. It was the only way they could cope with the destruction of their dream. But Kian had pined for Alli too. His mate. And he had cursed Graham.
“Hello, you two,” Alli said brightly.
“Alli, what’s going on?”
“Well, there was a town meeting yesterday evening, not too hard since everyone was still at the wedding. And it was decided that seems as it was Sunday and no one had anything better to do, that we would all come up and help put your house back together.”
“Alli … I have no money, you know that.”
“Well, that’s not a problem,” said Brad, off duty and dressed in jeans and a work shirt. “We found one of our local citizens was very sorry to hear about your misfortune and he agreed to cover the costs.”
“I can’t accept help like that from a stranger.”
“Well, he’s not exactly a stranger, and he decided that helping the community grow stronger might be a whole lot better than jail,” Brad continued.
“Jail?”
“Your choice, I guess. I don’t have any real proof that would stand up in court, but I have a keen sense of smell.” With this, he tapped the side of his nose. “And that sense of smell led me right to his door.”
“Graham.”
“That could well have been his name.”
“Please, Kian,” said Melanie. “Let’s put the house back together.”
“I can assure you that this will not happen again. I have made it quite clear that he will go to jail next time. But then, I also made it clear that people like him don’t belong in our community. I think he might be relocating.”
“What do you say, Kian?” Alli said, grasping his hand and then reaching for Melanie’s too.
“What can I say? I believe I am outnumbered.” His voice was gruff with emotion.
“Was it as hard as you thought it would be? Letting people help.”
“It got easier as the day went on, and all the long hours I would have spent on the house seemed to melt away. So many people,” Kian said dreamily.
She rolled over and looked at him. “I am very proud of you.”
“Does this mean you’ll marry me?”
She kissed his lips, brimming with happiness. “I would have married you anyway.”
“I know. But a man has his pride, you know.” He sat up and reached in his pocket. “This is for you. Melanie is going to have our mom’s wedding ring, but we thought it appropriate that I gave her engagement ring to you.”
The ring he offered her, took her breath away. Sparkling in the morning light, it had a single diamond set in the centre, with smaller diamonds embedded along the shoulder of the ring. “It’s so beautiful,” she gasped. “Are you sure your sister shouldn’t have them both?”
“No. We agreed. She wants you to know how much she loves you as a sister already.”
“Kian, that is so sweet.” She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his lips. “Thank you. I never thought I would be lucky enough to get engaged once, yet alone twice, in such a short space of time.”
“That reminds me; I’m supposed to get down on one knee, aren’t I?”
“You most certainly are. Graham grovelled for a full ten minutes, but that might be because a big old bear kept interrupting.”
“Do you have any idea how hard that was? To not just punch his lights out, throw you over my shoulder, and carry you off to my bear cave.”
“And what would you have done with me in your bear cave?”
“I’ll show you,” he said, taking hold of her arms and pinning them above her head. “I would have tied you down and made you submit to me.”
“How?” she asked, her breasts heaving as her breath became ragged.
“First, I would strip you until you were naked beneath me.” He began to unbutton her dress, kissing her skin as he revealed her flesh. She sighed against him, feeling his cock harden as he rested against her. That gave her an idea. She might not have the use of her hands, but she managed to slide her body up and down, only an inch or two, but it was enough for him to press harder against her. “Now who’s the tease?”
“I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Bear.”
“Damn, you would make a fine Goldilocks. I certainly wouldn’t kick you out of my house, although I might spank you if you broke my chair, but if I found you sleeping in my bed…”
“What would you do?” she breathed in his ear, watching him shudder in desire.
His teasing didn’t last long. Instead of slowly stripping her, he tore her clothes off her body, making no apology for the ripped fabric. Then he loosed her arms, just long enough to remove his own clothes. He eased her thighs apart, nestling between them. She could feel the press of his cock, and the thought of what he was about to do made her wet and ready for him.
This was it: they were about to make love in their new house. It had been almost completed today, the smell of fresh paint filling the rooms. Their bed was still makeshift, but she had told him she would be buying a bed first thing on Monday morning, he hadn’t complained. Now they were lying with the window open, the fresh mountain air caressing their skin, the old mattress comfortable beneath her.
He guided himself into her, one thrust filling her. He grunted, pushing deeper, and she gasped at the shock. Her sex yielded for him, but she still felt impossibly stretched. Withdrawing almost completely, he then thrust back into her. She fixed him with her eyes, holding his gaze, telling him she was willing to take whatever he gave her because she knew it would end in her ultimate release. She also knew he could never hurt her; the bond between them would never allow him to.
In and out, he slid, slow and deliberate. As her arousal increased, he changed the angle of his body, lifting her knee and kind of twisting his hips as he entered her. Oh damn, was that good. His body brushed her clit, eliciting gasps of excitement from her as he took her again and again. With the challenge still in her eyes, he kept her gaze, watching as her climax raced to take hold of her.
Harder now, short jerks as he filled her. Grinding his hips, his cock hitting the right spot inside her that sent her over the edge. As she came, he watched her, although she wanted to turn away, finding his eyes too intense and her emotions too intimate to share. However, she didn’t falter; somehow she found the courage to let him watch her. Just as he had found the courage to let other people, strangers, help him and Melanie. She swallowed her embarrassment in the same way he had swallowed his pride.
Placing her hand on his cheek, she stroked him, feeling the tension in his jaw, and then it passed, he erupted inside her, filling her with his essence. Leaning forward, she kissed him, softly, as he let himself go, a sound like a sob escaping him.
“I couldn’t wish for a better mate,” he said. “You have changed me. In the few short days we have known each other, you have completed me.”
“I love you, Kian.” And she saw that love reflected back at her in his eyes. Sighing as he curled his body around her, she thought back to Marjorie’s words and knew that if she looked in the mirror now, she would indeed see a different woman to the one she was before Kian. A whole new world had opened up for her, a new and exciting world that she would share with the man she loved.
***
“Does every bride feel this nervous on their wedding day?” Alli asked, feeling another wave of nausea sweep over her.
“Oh, yes,” said Drew. “I didn’t think I was going to get down the aisle. As soon as I got out of the car I thought my legs would buckle and I would have to crawl.”
Melanie laughed. “Now, that would have been something to see.”
“It would be a first for Bear Creek,” Alli agreed, trying to smile, but the look on her face was more of a grimace.
Marjorie placed a reassuring hand on Alli’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Alli. Once you see that man of yours, you will forget all about your nerves.”
Alli looked up at Marjorie and smiled. “I want to thank you for everything, Marjorie.”
“Keeps me occupied. I have been thinking of teaming up with you and offering my services as a wedding planner.”
“Or why not do the whole package? I mean, you could run a dating agency and a wedding planning service. A one-stop shop.” Drew giggled.
Alli looked at Drew, seeing her flushed, excited face. “That might be an excellent idea, Marjorie.”
“Yes. It’s too late for me. But there are plenty of lonely people out there, desperate to find their mate,” Drew said. “But Melanie could be your first client.”
“I don’t need a dating agency, and I don’t need a mate.”
“We all think that until we find the right one,” Drew assured her.
Alli smiled. She had become so close to Drew in the last couple of months. Mainly because Drew’s dad had spent a lot of time up at the farmhouse. He got on well with Kian, so well that they had gone into business together. With some persuasion, Kian had finally accepted Alli’s help and between them, they had bought another of the farmhouses, which was now halfway through being renovated.
The profit they made from it, when it was sold, would be enough for them to invest in another property and repeat the process. She smiled; it was strange how these things worked out. As the stylist finished curling her hair, she glanced up at Melanie. The young woman who had come into her store only a few months ago was also transformed. Confident in her abilities now, she worked quickly and accurately. Meaning Alli had been able to increase the number of clients they took on. And, although Melanie didn’t know it yet, Alli intended to ask her soon-to-be sister-in-law if she would become partners in Bear Brides.
It was a big step, but it would mean that when Alli had a baby, a thing Kian was becoming increasingly excited about, she would be able to take a back seat for a few months. Then they could transform one of the storerooms into a playroom and Alli would come back to work. Although if Kian had his way, the baby would spend its days strapped to his back in a papoose. Alli had never known a man be quite so broody.
“There,” Jeannie, the best hairdresser in Bear Creek, said, making the final touches to Alli’s hair. “Beautiful.”
The silver tiara sat on top of Alli head, reminding her of the comb that Kian had come into her store to collect on the day they met. She had chosen it specially. Jeannie had threaded Alli’s hair through it, and then created a mass of curls to frame her face. With her make-up professionally applied by Marjorie—Alli had found her own hands were shaking too much to do it herself—she had to admit she was pleased.
OK. More than pleased. “Thank you all, so much,” Alli said.
“You are beautiful,” Melanie said. Her eyes filled with tears. “Kian is so lucky.”
“I think it’s me who is the lucky one.”
“No time to argue. My dad is waiting for us. We need to go,” Drew helped Alli up, adjusting her dress and scooping up the long silk train for Alli to loop over her arm.